Spices Board announces cash awards for best cardamom plantations

GANGTOK, 05 July: To recognise and encourage healthy competition among farmers for improving production, productivity and quality of large cardamom, the Spices Board, Govt. of India has initiated cash awards consisting of one first prize of Rs. 1 lakh, a citation and a certificate, two second prizes carrying a cash award of Rs. 25,000 each, a citation and a certificate (one for women farmers and other for general category), informs a press release.              
The nominations are collected through Spices Board offices and an expert committee will be visiting the nominated cardamom plantations before the harvesting starts to make an assessment.
The release adds that farmers having minimum of 0.40 ha well managed plantation, free from pest and diseases and having exceptionally high yield, may compete for the awards and such farmers are requested to file their nomination in Spices Board Office on or before 30.8.2012.
For details, they may contact the nearest Spices Board office.

Spices Board scientists identify Cardamom blight, revival appears possible now

GANGTOK, 22 Nov: Scientists at Spices Board have finally identified the disease that has caused the sharp decline in large cardamom production in the State. In the last four to five years, cardamom production in the state spiralled down substantially due to a fungal disease that attacked plantations compelling farmers to switch to other crops, informs a press release.

Cardamom growers in North Sikkim thumb down tissue culture plants, want certified sucker nurseries instead

MANGAN, 28 July: The Panchayat and the public of Tingchim-Mangshila GPU have opposed the recent notification of the Horticulture & Cash Crops Development Department directing that new plantations of large cardamom use tissue culture plants. The people here have expressed more faith in the certified sucker nursery option offered by the Spices Board.

Tissue-cultured planting materials to rejuvenate cardamom plantations

GANGTOK, 24 July: Planting material grown through closely monitored tissue-culture is being introduced as a bid to rejuvenate the failing health of Large Cardamom plantations in Sikkim by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, ICAR Research Complex, Sikkim Centre.
A training-cum-demonstration programme on “organic large cardamom production technology” was organised by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra on 22 and 23 July at the KVK premises at Ranipool, informs a press release.

‘Certified Sucker Nursery’ scheme helps Tingzey farmers resurrect cardamom plantations

WANGCHUK BHUTIA
MANGAN, 19 July: Forty-five farmers from Tingzey ward of Upper Mangshila in North Sikkim, who had opted for cardamom farming under the “Certified Sucker Nursery” scheme funded by the Spices Board have now started harvesting improved results and are also contributing towards resurrecting large cardamom plantations in the area.
Laksingh Limboo, one of the farmers, while speaking to NOW! informed that he produced 5 quintal of large cardamom last year and also sold more than 4,000 saplings grown at his certified sucker nursery. He shares that he raked in a handsome annual income of more than Rs. 4 lakh. He expects to do even better this year.
Mr. Limboo converted his plantation under the present scheme five years ago and started plucking large cardamom harvest after two years. He is all praises for the Spices Board initiative of bringing such a “fruitful scheme” to the village.